Biography
A Delaware native, Dee Durham and her family now live in the house where she grew up adjacent to what is now Brandywine Creek State Park near Rockland. She graduated from Wilmington Friends School and Swarthmore College.
For almost two decades, Dee served as Executive Director of Preservation Delaware, and of S.A.V.E., a land use, conservation planning and smart transportation advocacy organization based in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Then as an independent consultant in fundraising and nonprofit management with a focus on conservation, she served several area nonprofits including as the Interim Development Director for the French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust. Dee was also the Grants Manager for the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. In 2012, she was honored with the Chairman’s Award from Preservation Pennsylvania. She has earned recognition as a Certified Fundraising Professional (CFRE).
Dee’s work as an environmental advocate made her aware of the need for increased transparency and ethics in government, leading to a stint as Program Director for Common Cause Delaware, 2012-2015. Common Cause seeks policy changes to address money in politics including Citizens United, and reforms aimed at increasing fair voting policies, same day registration, no excuse absentee balloting, and increased transparency in Delaware’s government.
Dee has been an active volunteer in her community including current service on the boards of the Sierra Club Delaware Chapter, New Castle Conservation District, and Preservation Delaware. She initially obtained experience in the nonprofit sector and community service through her work with the Junior League of Wilmington including a term as President and has since volunteered as a board member on many nonprofit boards as well as on Governor-Elect Jack Markell’s infrastructure transition team and former Governor Ruth Ann Minner’s Livable Delaware Task Force. Past nonprofit board service includes the Civic Council of Brandywine Hundred (CCOBH), Wilmington Friends School, Friends of Wilmington Parks, Friends of Brandywine Creek State Parks, Friends of Auburn Heights Preserve, Old Brandywine Village, Greater Brandywine Village Restoration, and Preservation Action.
Dee was instrumental in spearheading New Castle County’s revitalization of the Woodley Park playground near Talleyville adjacent to Naamans Little League.
In 2010, Dee co-founded and continues to co-chair Plastic Free Delaware which aims to reduce plastic pollution in our Delaware communities and environment through educational programs, awareness building and advocacy initiatives. In October 2018, Dee was recognized with the Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Award for her work on this issue.
In 2018, Dee took on a leadership role to secure Delaware’s passage of the National Popular Vote compact which would to make every vote count in presidential elections.
Dee was elected as County Councilperson for New Castle County’s District 2 in November 2018.
